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The Northern Irish hip-hop rap group Kneecap made its Coachella debut at this year’s festival, and its two-weekend performances were filled with controversy. The Irish band performed at the first weekend of Coachella on April 11 and the second weekend on April 19 and ensured both performances sent strong political messages.
During their second weekend at Coachella 2025, Kneecap sent strong pro-Palestinian messages. The highlight of the trio’s performance came when big and bold anti-Israel messages were displayed on a large screen behind them.
Following their performance, the group garnered significant attention, both positive and negative, and received strong support and criticism from many individuals.
The band’s manager, Daniel Lambert, responded to the criticisms the band is facing regarding their Coachella performance. He said:
“If somebody is hurt by the truth, that’s something for them to be hurt by, but it’s really important to speak truth. Thankfully, the lads are not afraid to do that.”
More details on Daniel Lambert’s response to criticisms Kneecap faces over their 2025 Coachella performance
On April 19, 2025, Kneecap l, which consists of DJ Próvaí, Mo Chara, and Móglaí Bap, performed at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. During their performance, the band displayed bold pro-Palestinian messages on large screens behind them, which read:
“Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.”
“It is being enabled by the US government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes.”
“F*ck Israel. Free Palestine.”
In addition to said messages, frontman Mo Chara addressed the audience during their performance, sketching a relationship between the Palestinian situation and Irish history. He said:
“The Irish are not so longer persecuted under the Brits, but we were never bombed under the f— skies with nowhere to go.”
He added:
“The Palestinians have nowhere to go. It’s their fucking home, and they’re bombing them from the skies. If you’re not calling it a genocide, what the fuck are you calling it?”
After that, the trio led the audience in a chant of “Free, free Palestine".
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Following the group's performance, popular on-air personality Sharon Osbourne shared her two cents on Kneecap's outspoken stance. She condemned it as a form of “hate speech” and called for the group’s US visa to be revoked. In a social media post, Osbourne claimed that the band's actions included “projections of anti-Israel messages and hate speech.”
“This band openly supports terrorist organizations. I urge you to join me in advocating for the revocation of Kneecap's work visa," she added.
Daniel Lambert has responded to Sharon Osbourne's criticism. In a conversation on RTÉ’s Drivetime, the manager of Kneecap said:
“Why aren’t we talking about the opinion of Omar Bartov, an Israeli-American genocide expert, who concludes that Israel are committing genocide? Why should we care what Sharon Osbourne thinks? I certainly don’t.”
He continued:
“To the band's massive credit, there's three young working-class people here who have built a career for themselves, on the basis of the Irish language, music, culture and Identity. They have the bravery and conviction, especially where they've come from in a post-conflict society, to stand up for what’s right despite the fact it may harm their careers and their income".
He praised the rap band’s efforts to highlight the war in Palestine.
“It’s an extremely strong position for young people to take, especially young people from a working-class background.”
He also revealed that many people have contacted the band to express their thanks “for saying what is right, what is just and something that sadly isn’t said enough.”
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With ongoing criticism over their Coachella performance, Kneecap is set to perform in a number of shows in Canada and the US in the coming months.
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